Osage Orange's

[bigcountry]

Ok, stopped by the side of the road and picked up some fruit from teh Bodark tree.

I got several acres and would like to plant. 

I figured its late in the year to plant now.  So trying to come up with the best time.  Thinking I would get em started in a pot in the house for a few months and plant in the spring.  Good idea?  Better way?

[Pat B]

Put them in buckets of water and overwinter them like that. In the spring dig a shallow trench and pour the "mush" in the trench and cover it up. They should germinate in the spring or early summer. Leave them in that trench until next fall and transplant them out where you want them permanently.

[bigcountry]

Put them in buckets of water and overwinter them like that. In the spring dig a shallow trench and pour the "mush" in the trench and cover it up. They should germinate in the spring or early summer. Leave them in that trench until next fall and transplant them out where you want them permanently.

Hmm, never heard of a method like that. But I will sure give em a shot.  I will you know how it works.

[Eric Krewson]

Pat has it right, just don't pour your "mush" too concentrated or you will have seedlings sprouting as thick as hair on a dog and hard to separate to replant. I used to repot the seedlings shortly after they sprouted in gallon pots. I would let them grow for a year and cull any that exhibited the characteristics of a twisted, dogleg tree, only kept the straight trunk ones.

I gave away all but a few of my year old seedlings. Some had good luck growing them, others did not.   

[Badger]

      I planted 2 batches of 100 seeds last year. I soaked them in water for a week and then put in tiny pots and kept wet. germination is about 80% and so far 100% survival. Seems to be an easy plant to propagate. I put them in different types of soil and their is a huge difference in how they are growing. This winter I will move up to 1 gallon pots and keep them their until I find homes for them. Several I have turned into little bonsai plants. Steve

[mullet]

 I have two SC osage trees growing in my yard that are 4 or 5 years old. They seem to be stuck at 3' tall. I don't think they like this sandy soil. I bet they are two of the few osage growing this far south in Florida. I have an Ipe that is about 40' tall and little Ipe's popping up all over the yard.

[aero86]

badger, do you have a pic of the bonsai osage?  do u have any that make fruit?

[bigcountry]

Thanks guys.  Currently, wife likes em for decoration. But soon I will put em water for the winter.  Thanksa again

[Badger]

  It took my first trees about 3 years to get 6 ft tall. This last batch is in it's first year and is around 12" or so. I am using several different soils and there is a huge difference in how the plants are growing and what they look like. Going to transplant them to bigger pots late winter if that checks out ok when I read up on it, maybe early spring. They seem extremely hardy. Steve

[El Destructo]

Eddie....you think it may be the fact that these  Trees are supposed to lay dormant during the winter....and you have no winter....maybe this is screwing with them....

[kylerprochaska]

Ive actually got a few that are about 2 ft tall right now... what I did was let the oranges dry... after they were dry I was able to extract the dried seed.  From there I pu the dried seeds in between damp paper towels  in zip lock bags and I put them in the fridge for a month.   Plant them about an inch deep and they should come up.  If you want to get multiple plants make sure you plant them far enough apart to begin with.

[aero86]

those trees grow like weeds here!  our soil is awesome

[El Destructo]

Takes them 50 years to grow 20 foot tall here in the Texas Panhandle....and did I ever mention....that rain is about non-existant here.....